PENTAX: Do they have the reflexes to weather a changing market?
Cameras come in all shapes and sizes. A multitude of designs have been produced over the years. Some designs are purpose built for a given task or industry. Some designs were just weird. Other designs were attempts at technological advancement. One design that has stayed at the forefront of development is the interchangeable single-lens reflex. For over the past fifty years the SLR design has been the camera type of choice for professional photographers and the biggest seller for camera manufacturers.
That preference is now changing since the introduction of the mirror-less interchangeable lens system camera. Originally seen as a novelty, technology has advanced to provide performance and features that surpass the capability of a traditional SLR. Most brands are now transitioning away from producing SLRs and focusing on (see what I did there) mirror-less systems. That is most brands except Pentax.
Pentax has been playing third fiddle to Nikon and Canon for years. Many a review of a Pentax camera is replete with comments to the effect of ‘ it is a well made and capable camera, but lags behind the competition in (fill in the blank)’. Now the competition is leaving the SLR market. While comparisons will still be drawn, there will no longer exist a direct competitor in the marketplace.
Pentax is positioning itself to be the bastion of the SLR. While many in the photographic community may be thinking that this strategy is folly, I for one think that this strategy could be a great move for the brand. With such a rich legacy of SLR innovation and a lens system that spans decades, it makes sense. Reading this article from PetaPixel, I agree that Pentax is placed in a very unique situation as being the only company to be actively making and developing new SLR cameras. What follows are my ideas that I think could help Pentax in this market transition. While a few of my thoughts may not be popular, I hope the folks at Ricoh, the current owner of the Pentax brand, are listening in.
Ignore the Joneses
I have thought for many years that Pentax should stop trying to compete with Canon and Nikon. Even as a Pentax user and fan myself, I have to admit that Nikon and Canon cameras do some things better and they have been quicker to issue new features and products. They play to the market and have a spec sheet that speaks to those buyers. That is not to say that Pentax has not been innovative. Look at their history. However the advent of digital has Pentax looking like a ‘me too’ brand. Pentax is a small company and was late in bringing their first DSLR to market. Pentax has been playing catch-up ever since.
Now that the main competitors in the DSLR market are leaving, Pentax can march more to the beat of its own drum. They can focus on making products that its user base actually wants rather than creating products that follow an industry trend. In short, they need to stick to their strengths at making a compact, durable, and user friendly camera system.
Focus on Lenses
This is a big one. Pentax started out as an optical company. Asahi Optical Company. Why not expand on what the brand does best? Pentax has a cult following when it comes to lenses. Many photographers, including myself, are adapting Pentax lenses to use on mirror-less cameras. These lenses are great performers. I love how their lenses render a scene. And need I rant on how effective the SMC and HD coatings are? Their lenses have consistently held the best performance in reducing flare and are easy to clean off dirt and dust. Every time I use a Pentax lens I am never disappointed.
Even though the K-mount has remained an open standard, it has not had many adopters since the dominance of digital. That has left Pentax as the only camera brand to use its lenses. So what if Pentax could produce lenses for other lens mounts?
Take a page from Sigma’s playbook and begin making premium lenses native for other camera systems. Other independent optical manufacturers have done this over the years. Look at Voigtlander. They make native mount lenses for several systems. They even used to produce lenses in K-mount. Can you imagine something like the Pentax FA Limited primes available natively for say Sony’s E-mount? I believe this could be a very profitable niche for Pentax.
Reach Back into the Past
This last thought will likely get a lot of eye-rolls, but hear me out. Pentax should make a retro line of cameras. I don’t just mean retro-styled either. I mean recreate the experiences of using old Pentax cameras. For this I have two ideas.
The first idea is this; there has been a resurgence in film usage over the years. I know there are plenty of used film cameras out there including millions of K-mount camera bodies and lenses. And this is exactly why Pentax needs to bring back a film SLR. Several new start-up companies are making simple cameras. Leica still makes film versions of its M rangefinders. Even Kodak just released a new half-frame film camera. Pentax would further differentiate itself by being the only new film SLR on the market.
There are two product types I have in mind. One way would be to make the most modern and advanced 35mm film SLR that they can. Take all of the great advancements in auto-focus technology, metering, and controls that Pentax have employed through the years with digital and bring those to a film camera. This would not be a cheap camera and very much a niche product. But it would offer users of old film cameras a path to upgrade to a modern machine and provide a way for current Pentax DSLR users to shoot film with some of the newer lenses available. Many of the newer lenses lack some functionality such as auto-focus and/ or aperture control when mounted on film bodies. This camera would bring analog usability to these phenomenal optics.
The other method would be to bring back the old-school manual focus film SLR. Think a modern made K1000 or MX. Apply the advancements made in viewfinder and pentaprism designs from the K-3 III to optimize the experience of using a manual focus SLR. Pentax made one attempt at this with the MZ/ ZX-M. Why not do it again? The camera does not need to be fancy. Keep it simple like the originals. Leica has cashed in on making all-mechanical versions of its M since the introduction of the M-A in 2014. Other currently available film cameras are all simple plastic cameras leaving an enormous price gap that Pentax could fill. Seriously. The cheapest Leica film rangefinder is priced at nearly $5,600. The next cheapest 35mm camera I have found lists for $130. That leaves a huge space to place some products in.
As of December 2022, Ricoh has announced that Pentax has embarked on a project to research and develop “new Pentax-brand film camera products”. No confirmation that a product will be produced, or as to what that product will be, but that they are researching the viability and looking to collaborate and co-create a product that the community wants. I for one am excited and wish that I could get my hands in on the development.
Now speaking of manual SLRs, this leads into my second retro-inspired concept. Build a manual focus digital SLR. I know this sounds crazy at first, but think about it. Many mirrorless camera users are manually focusing. Many have to if they are adapting lenses to use. Pentax is marketing their brand as the steward of single-lens reflex technology and proponent of the optical viewfinder experience. They state; “Easily locating the exact area of focus and finding the ideal bokeh (defocus) effect are also inherent to the PENTAX optical viewfinder, and are features that further let you create an image that is true to your impression of the subject.”
Pentax speaks of an SLR experience and a connection it brings the photographer to the subject. What better way to show this commitment to providing this genuine experience than to distill the essence of what an SLR needs to be? Strip away the gadgets and the unnecessary frills. Leica did such a thing with its M-D (typ 262). They eliminated the LCD screen and paired everything down to the essentials. Eliminating distractions allowing the photographer to concentrate more on capturing moments.
It is a novel idea but one that plays very well with Pentax’s marketing lingo. Do I think it will be the best selling DSLR, no. But it will get people’s attention. Attention and support that Pentax could really use right now. I feel as though these new product approaches would broaden the Pentax portfolio in a way to gain greater mass appeal and play to Pentax’s core strengths. With their expertise in optical design and the resurgence of film photography, Pentax has the know-how to influence the photo industry.
